Attachment for raising or lowering buggy-tops



(No Model.)

' 2 SheetsESheet 1. R. W. LIDDLE. ATTACHMENT FOR RAISING 0R LOWERING BUGGY TOPS. N0. 593,591.

Patented Nov. 16, 1897.

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2 Sheefig-Sheet 2 (N9 Mbdel.)

v R. W. LIDDLE. ATTACHMENT FOR RAISINGOR LOWERING BUGGY TOPS.

Patenfied'Novn 16, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIcE,

ROBERT W. LIDDLE, OF GILBERT STATION, IOWA.

ATTACHMENT FOR RAISING OR LOWERING BUGGY-TOPS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,591, dated November 16, 1897.

Application filed March 26, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT WV. LIDDLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gilbert Station, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Raising or Lowering Buggy- Tops, of which the followingis aspecification.

My object is to provide improved means to facilitate the raising and lowering of the folding top of a buggy or carriage by a person seated within the vehicle, to prevent the concussion and wear and damage incident to tops falling down suddenly, to store power in springs by the descent of the top, to aid in raising it, and to lock the top as required to prevent it from vibrating and jolting, as frequently occurs when the top is down and the vehicle is advanced rapidly or when the wheels pass over rough roads and obstructions.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mechanism for raising and lowering the top and locking the top to retain it stationary when down. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing such a combination of parts as is required on each side of the top and the box or body of a vehicle to which the folding top is pivotally connected. Fig. 3 is a sectional View through the line to m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a buggy-top, showing my invention applied thereto as required for practical use.

The letter A designates a buggy or carriage seat, and A a back fixed to the seat. Metal frames are fixed to each end of the seat to support the folding top. Each one of these frames consists of a straight bar B, preferably round, that has extensions B and B adapted to be fixed to the ends of the seat A to support the folding top pivotally connected therewith. Each partB has an integral shaft-bearing 0, and their rear ends are preferably extended at right angles and connected so as to produce a rigid brace 0 between them. The front ends of the straight bars B are curved upwardly and terminate in eyes 0 to which the bows of the folding top are pivoted.

Serial No. 629,322. (No model.)

Integral curved braces D, that also serve as fenders, are extended upward and backward from the front end portions of the bars 13 and terminate in right-angled perforated extensions D adapted to be fixed to the back A of the seat A. An integral lateral inward proj ection f on one of the braces D serves, in combination with a lever, for locking the top, as required to retain it stationary when it is lowered.

H is a shaft extended through the bearings C of the frames fixed to the seat A, and J are jointed top-props that have angular eyes at their lower ends fitted to the angular ends and shoulders J 2 of the shaft H and secured thereto by means of nuts on the screw-threaded terminations of the shaft.

K are coiled springs inclosed in metal cases L in such a manner that the ends of the springs will extend outward through openings in the ends of the cases.- Their inner ends will engage the rear end portions of the parts 13, and their outer ends will engage thetop-props J when the springs and cases are jointly placed on the ends ofthe shaft, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

M is a hand-lever that has an integral collar N, through which the shaft H is passed and fastened thereto by means of a set-screw P in such a manner that when the folding top is up the position of the lever will be horizontal and parallel with the part B of the frame at the end of the seat, as shown in Figs; 1 and 5, and when the top is down the lever will be in a vertical position and in engagement with the projection f on the brace D, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 5, and as required to lock the top when it is lowered.

In the practical operation of my invention to lower the top I simply seize the lever and raise it into a vertical position, and by so doing rotate the shaft H sufficiently to press the top-props J rearward to bend the joints, as required to allow the folding top to descend by force of gravity. As the top descendsthe springs K will serve as cushions to prevent concussion, and force will be stored therein to aid in elevating the top, and by pressing the lever over the inclined front of the extension on the brace D it will be engaged by the projection, as required to lock the lever IOC and to retain the lowered top stationary. To elevate the top, I release the lever and press it forward and into its normal horizontal position.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device for raising and lowering a foldingbuggy-top, a frame consisting of a straight bar that has integral lateral extensions fixed to the end of a buggy-seat and provided with a shaft-bearing at its rear end portion and an integral curved brace and fender extending upward and rearward from its front portion and fixed to the seat at its rear end and a lateral projection on said fender adapted to engage a hand-lever, a shaft in said shaftbearing and a hand-lever connected with said shaft, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

2; Mechanism for raising and lowering and looking a folding buggy or carriage top, comprising two mating frames composed of straight bars having lateral extensions fixed to the ends of the vehicle-seat and provided with shaft-bearings at their rear end portions and eyes at their front ends for pivotally connecting bows therewith, and a brace and fender extending upward and rearward from the front end portions of said bars and fixed to the back of the seat and one of said fenders having a lateral projection to engage and look a lever, a rock-shaft in said bearings, a lever fixed to the shaft, jointed topprops connected with the ends of the shaft and coiled springs placed on the end portions of the shaft and their outer ends connected with the top-props and their inner ends connected with the fixed frames at the ends of the seat, all arranged and combined in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

ROBERT W'. LIDDLE. 

